Financial sector among most generous, ahem, sperm donors

by WP26 Sep 2013

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Financial sector among most generous, ahem, sperm donors

The reputation of financial-sector workers may have taken a hit with the financial crisis, but there’s one area where they are proving to be more generous than doctors, teachers and most other professionals… sperm donation.

Data from the London Sperm Bank (LSB) reveal that finance workers are second only to information technology managers when it comes to donation. On average, 36 finance professionals visit the bank every month, putting them on par with students. Only IT managers are more keen with an average of 45 donors a month.

Donors aren’t paid in the UK, although the clinic offers £35 to cover any costs. However Ahuja said a lot of the bankers who visit refuse the payment. “They want to donate and to make a gesture – like blood donors. Some of them have seen the effects of infertility and want to help.”

Ahuja noted that an investment banker donor has made 10 separate donations – the maximum allowed under UK rules – and declined to be compensated. “Because of his personal wealth, he doesn’t care for the money. He has helped to create 10 families,” Ahuja said.

The generosity of finance sector workers may need to be put in some perspective. The City of London Corp estimates that there were 354,400 people employed in financial services in 2011. While no data are available, it is safe to say that there are far fewer filmmakers in the City. That means that with six donors per month, filmmakers may in fact be far more generous.